Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh province. Following the success of a Prime Minister-chaired national conference on sustainable development of wood processing and forestry exports earlier this month, a  Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) supported consultation workshop was held today to spotlight an important timber industry initiative.

The workshop, organized by the Forest Products Association (FPA) of Binh Dinh province, introduced the Due Diligence System in Timber Association (DDSTA) and included a site visit to a Binh Dinh FPA member, PISICO Wooden Furniture Joint Stock Company, to obtain the strategic guidance and technical feedback from the central, provincial management bodies and other stakeholders on design of the piloting DDSTA phase. FAO technical and financial support was provided under the UN-REDD Programme Viet Nam Phase II.

A number of representatives attended the meeting, including those from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Viet Nam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST), FAO, UN-REDD Viet Nam Programme Phase II, Forest Protection Department, Management Board for Forestry Projects (MBFP),  Binh Dinh People’s Committee, Binh Dinh Department of  Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), Binh Dinh Industry and Trade Department, provincial FPD and members of FPA Binh Dinh.

FPA Vice Chairman Mr. Tran Le Huy, at the meeting, underlined the importance of FAO’s support of an association-level due diligence system.

“Although VPA/FLEGT is envisaged to be ratified by the European Union (EU) and Viet Nam by the end of 2018, it is anticipated that Viet Nam will need several years before reaching the FLEGT licensing stage. Therefore, FAO support on development of an association-level due diligence system to Binh Dinh FPA members is appreciated. Ideally the system will serve as a facilitative tool for international clients to meet due diligence requirements (EU Timber Regulation EUTR) and as a preparatory step for FPA Binh Dinh for future Viet Nam Timber Legality Assurance System (VNTLAS) implementation,” he said.

Mr. Huy said the EU, together with United States and Japan, was one of the most significant markets for Binh Dinh’s timber processing industry with its 70 members. However, the EU and US markets were also subject to due diligence or due care requirements under the EUTR or US Lacey Act, respectively, based on individual agreements between each member of the FPA Binh Dinh and its 30 main respective overseas clients from the EU or US.

As a result, Deputy Minister of MARD Mr. Ha Cong Tuan, said it was important provincial plans adhered to national timber and forestry products processing industry strategies. More importantly, the province should ensure the use of legally and sustainably harvested timber sources to contribute to building a national brand for wood processing industry.

 “Binh Dinh’s forestry sector should improve forest plantation productivity and wood products processing technology to better position itself in domestic and global markets,” he said.

Binh Dinh has 383,622 hectares of forestry land with 134,295ha of forest plantations, expected to supply 40 per cent of materials for timber processing industry of the province. As one of the pioneering provinces in sustainable forest management/forest certification, Binh Dinh has 9,762ha of plantation forests certified by Forest Stewardship Council.